Memorial Service

Obituary of Frank Lingo Calhoun

Frank Lingo Calhoun, attorney-at-law, age 83, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 2, 2019. He was born to John Ewell Calhoun and Myrtle Elizabeth Lingo Calhoun, in Georgetown, Delaware on July 28, 1935. Frank graduated from Georgetown High School, class of 1954. He received his BA degree from the University of Delaware, afterwards attended Georgetown Law School and later graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School and passed the Maryland Bar examination thereafter.

After working for a time at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, Frank Calhoun joined the Office of the Chief Counsel for the Federal Highway Administration where he served as an attorney for three decades. Frank retired as the Assistant Chief Counsel for Legislation and Regulations. During his time with FHWA, Frank drafted federal highway and related transportation legislation and regulations, prepared senior agency officials to testify before Congress, and led a team of lawyers and other staff providing agency leaders with legal advice on a wide range of transportation-related issues. Frank played a pivotal role in the development and submission to Congress of every federal highway law enacted by Congress during the three decades of Frank’s service to his country.

Frank was an avid horseman and carriage enthusiast. He was well-known for his passion for horses and was very active with carriage driving and breeding Morgan horses. He comes from a carriage-collecting and driving family in Delaware. He and his long-time friend and partner, Carlton Huhn, formed a partnership in 1980 wherein they bred horses, which produced the world-famous Battersea Chancellor horse. In 1985, after accumulating quite a few Morgan horses, Frank and Carlton moved to Harmony Hall on Broad Creek in Southern, Maryland, a 1723 manor house on the Potomac River. Those years at Harmony Hall produced some very competitive driving horses with the Battersea breeding prefix.

After 38 years of service with the US Department of Transportation and writing legislation for Congress, Frank, Carlton, and the Battersea Morgan horses relocated to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, eventually selling off their horses for future breeding stating they want to sell them young and watch them bloom for others.

Frank had his roots in Delaware and lived in Georgetown for most of his younger life, and spent time between there and Rehoboth Beach where his aunt and then his sister lived. He participated regularly in Return Day in Georgetown, Delaware, often driving the political candidates around the Circle in horse and carriage.

Frank loved to spend time with his family, to include his brother and sister, and six nephews, many more great nieces and nephews, cousins, and his many, many friends.

He was a kind and gentle soul who was known to be someone who would give you the shirt off his back and would loan you money or buy you something if you needed it.

He was predeceased by his sister, Frances Elizabeth Dawson, and a nephew, Stephen B. Dawson.

He is survived by his brother, Richard M. Calhoun, and his wife, Sylvia, of Bridgeville, Delaware; five nephews, Ernest Thomas Dawson and his wife, Wanda of Salisbury, Maryland, David R. Dawson and his wife, Valerie of Salisbury, Maryland, William H. W. Dawson and his wife, Shirley of Lewes, Delaware, John H. C. Dawson and his wife, Sue of Wilmington, Delaware, and Christopher F. Dawson and his wife, Eileen of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

A Memorial Service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 7 S. King Street, Georgetown, Delaware on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 2:00pm. Friends and Family may call one hour prior to the service. The Reverend Maleia Rust will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Nutter D. Marvel Carriage Museum, 510 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown, Delaware 19947.